Derek Beales (1931–2023)

Not a "page turner", but a solid short biography useful for an understanding of the Victorian period. The personal life of Gladstone, while brief is very interesting.

1647 From Castlereagh to Gladstone 1815-1885, by Derek Beales (read 23 July 1981) This is really quite a good book. It is a survey type book and was published in 1969 as part of a series called The Norton Library History of England--I suppose I should read them all, but of course they are written by different persons and who can say they are all good. Sometimes I thought the book I just read was too general: after all, I have read quite a bit on the period in more detail. Yet I found the show more survey informative in some ways, and in "Books for Further Reading" are listed books I'd like to read [and I did read two of them]. show less